Generation TwentySomething
by sailingskies
Summary: A graduation piece focusing on the original five: Mercedes, Tina, Artie, Kurt, and Rachel. Sweet, fluffy...   "Closing time, every new beginning is some other beginnings end."


"Okay guys! Graduation is only three weeks away —" Will started. The 26 members of New Directions groaned. Will had been on them about graduation since they won nationals two weeks before. They had lost regionals during their first year year, but junior year they had prevailed after their rough spots and went on to come in second at Nationals. After the what happened at Sectionals, Rachel had stepped up big time. Rachel contacted Kurt and since he was already not so happy at Dalton he returned to the club. Three weeks after sectionals Rachel approached Will in his office.

"Yes Rachel? I gave you a solo already! Just stop trying to make this club the Rachel Berry club! It's not about you!"

"Shue! Shut up!" Rachel exclaimed. Will was shocked seeing as Rachel had never said anything like that. "Mr Shuester, this is the first solo I've had in months! Don't you remember? I didn't get a solo for sectionals. No — you gave the solos to Quinn who doesn't even like glee club. Sam — just because he's the new Finn, and Santana! Who, even though she is in Glee Club, has bullied all of the other kids! So don't tell me that it's becoming a Rachel Berry club. The only reason why I got a solo? Because Ms. Holiday came in and told you that you were out of your mind to give anyone else Barbra. So don't give me that crap. And now that we're talking about this, you need to start listening about our own music choices. Honestly Shue? We've done nothing but your music! How about listening to us!"

After Rachel's little talk with Mr. Shuester the set list began to change and the club began to act better towards each other. Rachel dished out the solos, though the entire club agreed that Barbra would always go to her. Everyone got solos and they only went to competitions with their best songs. New Direction killed at Regionals. Nationals came up and the lost. Even though they were a little upset about second place, they were just so pleased that they had even made it to Nationals in the first place. After getting to Nationals more students wanted to join and be a part of glee club. Figgins had increased their budget, and Sue stopped trying to destroy them. 14 more students had come to audition, realizing that they loved singing and wanted to be a part of something that they were passionate. The glee club stopped being bullied and were thriving as a team.

"Guys!" Shue continued, "Graduation is a big deal and 12 of you are leaving! Figgins has asked us to prepare a song or two for graduation. What are your ideas?"

"I think that the 12 graduating should be the ones to sing a song. I mean, it's our last chance as a group." Finn stated.

"Agreed, but we can do two songs! Why not do two!" Kurt said.

"Ok look, I agree that we should do one as the 12 of us. It'll mean something and even though have done it so much I think that we should do Don't Stop. It's kind of our theme song — and would mean a lot." Rachel paused as the group shouted out in their agreement. "And I have an idea for the second sone also. Look, before there were 26 of us there was 12. Before there were 12, there were only six of us. Usually we stop there. The original six. But I was looking through my scrap book. Before Finn came along, there were five kids in here trying to make it work. We sucked but we tried and believed that things would change. I think that the second song should be just us five: Artie, Tina, Kurt, Mercedes, and me."

The club remained silent for several moments. Then Kurt stood up suddenly and launched himself towards Rachel. They were now best friends, even Mercedes was not as good friends with Kurt as Rachel was. Artie rolled him and Tina over to join the hug and Mercedes joined in on the hug.

"Guys? Hello?" Will said, not really wanting to break up the little group, but he knew that they had to continue. "I think that it's a good idea. Are any opposed?"

The rest of the club looked back and forth from each other and to the five hugging in the middle. Yeah, it sucked not being invited to sing it with them, but they understood.

"Mr. Shue, I think it's a good idea," Finn said after a while. The rest of the group all nodded.

"The it's settled! Rachel, do you have any ideas?"

"Yeah Shue, I have one." Rachel said with a smile.

—

The morning of Graduation had approached. The girls and Kurt all went over to Rachel's house to get ready together. The boys met at Finn's for a round or two of COD and then they got ready too.

At 2:30 they met in front of the school that for so long had been a hell-hole. Each hugging and tearing up at the sight of each other. They all went in together as they left their families in the parking lot to fend for themselves.

"And now, our very own Glee Club to preform two songs!" Figgins announced into the microphone. The 12 of them all stood up and got into position.

New Directions sang Don't Stop Believing just as the had on the stage when Mr. Shuester decided to stay. After the applause had died down, the five stepped three steps forward into a line.

The music started and each of the five glanced around with a small smile gracing their faces.

"My whole life is right in front me.

I can go anywhere." Rachel sang out, a sad little smile apparent on her face.

"Two whole decades can't prepare you for the moment,

When the page is blank before you,

And you're barely even twenty-something." Kurt lifted his head and sang out with her grasping her hand as he did.

"Nothing's standing in my way.

No one's holding me back." Kurt thought of all of the bulling that had ceased when the went to Nationals, and how there would never be anything to stop him after he got out of high school.

"College ended and there's no one here to tell me

Not to hit the bars and rent some cars." Mercedes joined him this time, smiling at Kurt.

"I'll fuck around" It was Artie's voice that rang out. Puck smiled in his place at the back, thinking of when he guided Artie after he got out of juvie. It seemed so long ago.

"But then I'm gonna change the world.

It's the generation twenty-something ascending.

We might be young. We might be poor.

But we know we deserve much more than what our parents have." The five looked up and sang out, voices even. Smiles on each of their faces.

"Who knows what that'll be?" Tina sang out, not sure of her own future.

"But we're ready to discover

If there is life after the Wii.

'Cause as long as we're still young and fresh

And twenty-something, we're free." Their voices rang out in unison.

"This is it. This is what's hot." Mercedes, Tina, and Rachel looked at each other as they sang.

"It's your moment. It's your decade.

But you're only twenty-something til you're not.

Hurry up. Do it now.

If you don't, if you blink,

Then it's over."

"Show me something I can get behind.

And I'm already there." Kurt sang out again. He wasn't sure about the stage anymore. He just wanted options about what he could do.

"I have more free time than I know what to do with.

I'm in twenty different places

But I guess it's 'cause I'm twenty-something." Rachel belted out. Rachel already had several things going on. She had a full ride to NYU Tisch, and several workshops lined up. In fact, that very night she got a call offering her the part of Luisa in the Fantasticks.

"Single with a bach'lor pad.

Now I just need a job." Artie and Tina had broken up two years before, but both were looking to get each other back.

"I've got time to kill until my life becomes more real." Tina joined, knowing that later she and Artie would make it together.

"The time is now for wearing heels,

For roommates, drugs,

For chance encounters.

Raise a glass to the generation twenty-something ascending.

We might be young. We might be poor.

But we know we deserve much more than what our parents have.

Who knows what that'll be?

We're the target demographic.

We're the reason for TV.

We're obsessively and definitely twenty-something and free.

Don't think about tomorrow,

There's enough to do today.

I'm young, smart, on my way.

This is my day.

You blinked.

You're not twenty-something."

"This is it. This is what's hot.

It's your moment. It's your decade.

But you're only twenty-something til you're not.

Hurry up. Do it now.

If you don't, if you blink,

Then it's over.

Don't think about tomorrow,

There's enough to do today.

I'm young, smart, on my way.

This is my day.

You blinked.

You're not twenty-something." Each of the five sang this in rounds, knowing that it was true.

"Raise a glass to the generation twenty-something ascending.

We might be young. we might be poor.

But we know we deserve much more than what our parents have.

Who knows what that'll be?

When you're twenty you're just starting…

When you're twenty-four…

You're twenty-five…

You'll never feel more perfect when life starts at twenty-three.

Because we're ready and we're waiting

And we're twenty-something and free." Their voices rang out loud and clear together. It echoed around the gym. Each had tears rolling down their faces as they realized that it was over. This was the group that had started it, and it was the group that was ending it also. The rest of the twelve had teared up, and the other 14 looked upon in awe. It was now that they grasped just how big the shoes that they had to fill really were. Throughout the graduating class hands were being grasped, eyes were being wiped, shoulders cried on.

And then there was Mr. Shuester. He was breathing shallow, willing the tears to stop coming — he wasn't getting anywhere. Memories raced through his head. Rachel — the girl who always had something to say, always something to comment or critique. And yet, she always was there for them. She worked tirelessly to make sure that they were the best they could possibly be. Will knew that out of everyone in that club, only one would make it. Rachel would get out, and get out fast. She would go off to New York. She would star in shows. She would win Tonys. She would go to LA and win Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, Grammys — you name it. There was not something that Rachel would not be able to do.

Mercedes was the diva of their group. She was the one with the big voice and bigger personality. Though she was a great singer — Will knew that her future was full of other things. Perhaps Cincinnati — close enough to home, but a big enough city to keep her sense of self. Mercedes would open a boutique or something like that.

Artie was always the nerd. Will had thought that even since he walked into the room that first day. But Artie was talented and strong. Artie would go on to be a father — with Tina, no doubt. Tina, Will knew, would come back to McKinley to teach. Not glee club, but drama maybe. She would teach math — she had always excelled in Maths.

And Kurt — Will was so happy to have him back at McKinley. Thank God Rachel was able to get him to come back. Kurt was brave and strong. He didn't hide who he was. Kurt would get out just like Rachel. He would not be stifled by the ignorance of small-town people. Kurt was incredibly talented but fashion had always trumped over the stage.

These were the kids that Will knew first. Before Finn came along. Before the Jocks and the Cheerios came along. Before competitions. Before rivalries. Before fights for solos. These were the kids that had stood up against the herd to say that this was that they loved. As Will looked upon the 26 Glee kids, 12 original kids, the 6 kids who had given him hope, he saw five inseparable friends — people who he had watched as they had grown up. They would go far — they would win awards, open businesses, start families, make lives for themselves — Will would always remember them as the five that started this dream, and made that dream come true.


End file.
